Project abstract for group hegemana

Metabolics and Stable Isotope Labeling Methodologies for the Study of Chemical Communication in Plants

Plants synthesize a wide variety of chemicals called secondary metabolites in response to environmental triggers or to mediate specific behaviors from other organisms. Very little is known about how the synthesis of these metabolites is regulated or how their environmental triggers are sensed. The Hegeman laboratory uses and develops high-throughput mass spectrometry-based analyses to provide broad-based measurements of metabolites. They are also involved in developing new methodologies in metabolomics that utilize whole-organism stable isotopic labeling strategies to improve data quality and information content. These analyses will be used to provide global models of metabolism within a biological system that can provide novel insights into molecular phenomena. The researchers use these metabolomics approaches to understand the regulation of secondary metabolite production in response to environmental cues.